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1 – 10 of 13
Article
Publication date: 30 November 2023

Dong Chen, Rui Zhang and JiaCheng Jiang

This study aims to investigate the morphology and physicochemical properties of BiOBr/Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes and the differences in the properties of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the morphology and physicochemical properties of BiOBr/Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes and the differences in the properties of BiOBr/PVDF composite membranes made by adding different precursor ratios during the casting process.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, sodium bromide and Bi(NO3)3 were used as precursors for the preparation of BiOBr photocatalysts, and PVDF membranes were modified by using the phase conversion method in conjunction with the in situ deposition method to produce BiOBr/PVDF hydrophilic composite membranes with both membrane separation and photocatalytic capabilities.

Findings

The characterization results confirmed that the composites were successfully and homogeneously co-mingled in the PVDF membranes. The related performance of the composite membrane was tested, and it was found that the composite membrane with the optimal precursor incorporation ratio had good photocatalytic efficiency and antipollution ability; the removal efficiencies of methyl orange, rhodamine B and methylene blue were 80.43%, 85.02% and 86.94%, respectively, in 2.5 h. The photocatalytic efficiency of composite membranes with different precursor ratios increased and then decreased with the increase of the precursor addition ratio.

Originality/value

The composite membrane is prepared by phase conversion method with in situ deposition method, and the BiOBr material has unique advantages for the degradation of organic dyes. The comprehensive experimental data can be known that the composite membrane prepared in this paper has high degradation efficiency and good durability for organic dyes.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2023

Luís Oscar Silva Martins, Inara Rosa de Amorim, Vinicius de Araújo Mendes, Marcelo Santana Silva, Francisco Gaudencio Mendonça Freires and Ednildo Andrade Torres

This study aims to examine the price and income elasticities of short- and long-run industrial electricity demand in Brazil between 2003 and 2020. The research also examines the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the price and income elasticities of short- and long-run industrial electricity demand in Brazil between 2003 and 2020. The research also examines the impacts of COVID-19 in Brazil’s industrial electricity sector, including an analysis in states more and less industrialized.

Design/methodology/approach

Dynamic adjustments models in panel data are used to present robust estimates and analyze the impact of different methodologies on reported elasticities.

Findings

The short-run price elasticity is estimated at −0.448, while the long-run values are around −1.60. Regarding income elasticity, the value is 0.069 in the short-run and is concentrated in 0.25 in the long-run. The inelastic results of income show that the industrial demand for electric energy follows the trend of loss of competitiveness of the Brazilian industry in the past years. In addition, the price of natural gas, the level of employment, and, in specific cases, the level of imports also influence industrial electricity demand.

Originality/value

The research is a pioneer in the investigation of the industrial behavior of electricity of the Brazilian industrial branch, using as control variables, the average temperature, and the level of rainfall, this one, so important for a country whose main source is hydroelectric. In addition, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study, which is prepared to analyze the effects of COVID-19 on electric consumption in the industrial sector, investigating these impacts, including in the states considered more and less industrialized. The estimates generated may help in the design of the Brazilian energy policy.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 December 2022

Norberto Santos, Claudete Oliveira Moreira and Luís Silveira

Tourism in Coimbra today is influenced by the fact that the Univer(s)city was distinguished as a World Heritage Site in 2013. The number of visits has grown very significantly in…

Abstract

Purpose

Tourism in Coimbra today is influenced by the fact that the Univer(s)city was distinguished as a World Heritage Site in 2013. The number of visits has grown very significantly in recent years, but the diversification of the tourist offer is still weak and unable to take advantage of existing resources. This paper aims to present genealogy tourism as an alternative urban cultural tourism in Coimbra.

Design/methodology/approach

Methodology involved mapping the Jewish culture elements in the city of Coimbra, and a route was outlined and proposed.

Findings

Genealogy tourism resources are identified in the historic centre of the city. These alternative spaces need urban rehabilitation and (re)functionalisation, which allowed the authors to rethink tourism in Coimbra. They are the motivation to visit for all urban cultural tourists, especially Israelis/Jews, and provide contact with places where the experiences of ancestors combine with the history and memory of places, with recent discoveries and the elements of Jewish culture in the city.

Originality/value

It is concluded that the quantity, diversity, authenticity and singularity of the heritage resources that bear witness to the Jewish presence in Coimbra are sufficient assets to create a route, to enrich the tourist experience in the city and to include the destination in the Sephardic routes.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2024

Nhi Thao Ho-Mai, Vinh Trung Tran, Vien Ky Nguyen, Uyen Thi Thu Do, Thanh Ba Truong and Phuong Thi Kim Tran

From a consumer–brand relationship (CBR) perspective, this study proposes a serial multiple mediation model to explore the pathways (e.g. cognitive, affective and hybrid) to…

Abstract

Purpose

From a consumer–brand relationship (CBR) perspective, this study proposes a serial multiple mediation model to explore the pathways (e.g. cognitive, affective and hybrid) to increase online celebrity brand equity (OCBE) and follower's hotel booking intentions (FBI).

Design/methodology/approach

Paper-based and online surveys were used to collect data from 443 respondents who had been using TikTok and had followed at least one online celebrity on TikTok, while that online celebrity had reviewed one or more types of accommodation. A serial multiple mediation model was evaluated through covariance-based structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results confirmed the hybrid cognitive–affective and cognitive–affective–conative pathways among antecedents and components of OCBE and FBI.

Originality/value

From a CBR perspective, this study provides a serial multiple mediation model to increase OCBE via hybrid cognitive–affective pathways and to drive FBI via cognitive–affective–conative pathways. These sequential relationships contribute to the human branding literature by defining a mechanism of how online celebrities can efficiently attract followers, thus driving online celebrity brand loyalty and hotel booking intentions.

Research limitations/implications

The results should be validated in other cultural contexts to generalize findings and broaden the range of target respondents to include international followers and those within other nations.

Details

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7122

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2024

Sara Maia, José Pedro Teixeira Domingues, Maria Leonilde R. Rocha Varela and Luis Miguel Fonseca

The focus of this research is to investigate if user-generated content (UGC) generated in the Booking platform can support quality management improvement within the hospitality…

Abstract

Purpose

The focus of this research is to investigate if user-generated content (UGC) generated in the Booking platform can support quality management improvement within the hospitality industry by increasing customer satisfaction and eliminating defects more efficiently. Hence, it contributes to understanding how data-driven companies can rely on customer data to focus on innovation and performance improvement to meet customer requirements, eliminate defects and increase customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the literature review, information was collected from the digital platform Booking, encompassing 15 hotel industry companies in Portugal Porto and Braga regions, selected due to their high number of customer reviews. This data was organized and categorized, eliminating all unnecessary information for the research and building an Excel database. The database was subsequently analysed with SPSS and Voyant software, performing statistical analysis, hypothesis testing and text-mining techniques to analyse the comments. After these analyses, applying quality tools allowed for more in-depth conclusions.

Findings

The research results highlight that customers' most relevant requirements in the Portuguese hospitality industry are breakfast, parking and a swimming pool. It was also possible to realize that the location is an attractive requirement, the bathroom is a must-be requirement and breakfast is a performance requirement. The results also allowed us to answer the most critical research question: “Is user-generated content a valuable aid to quality?” the answer is yes since it was possible to use the data to find improvements and faults/failures in the services.

Originality/value

The results of this study represent an essential step towards a complete understanding of how to take advantage of UGC within the hospitality industry by establishing a solid base of techniques, methods and quality tools for UGC analysis that can be applied in future research on different industry sectors.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2022

Cíntia de Melo de Albuquerque Ribeiro, José Paulo Cosenza, Luís Perez Zotez and Júlio Vieira Neto

This study aims to investigate the nonfinancial information related to capitals (intellectual, human, social and relationship, and natural) demanded by professional investors in…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the nonfinancial information related to capitals (intellectual, human, social and relationship, and natural) demanded by professional investors in their decision-making process, which can improve the usefulness of integrated reporting for this target audience.

Design/methodology/approach

A Systematic Literature Review in the Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases enabled the identification of information demanded by professional investors. This information was presented to experienced Brazilian investors participating in a focus group to align the theory on this topic with professional practice.

Findings

The results allow us to conclude that the focus group participants' perception is aligned with the international literature, both in the importance given to most of the nonfinancial information items identified and in the lack of interest in using integrated reporting in investment decisions. Nonetheless, the general perception of the focus group is not aligned with the literature procedures in terms of social and environmental information.

Research limitations/implications

A study with a larger scope and the adoption of other approaches can contribute to broaden the understanding of the perspectives of professional investors in Brazil, as well as in other regions.

Practical implications

The authors provide evidence that contributes to discussions about the information to be disclosed in integrated reports. Their results are useful to legislators, regulators, report preparers and investors.

Originality/value

The authors investigate the information demanded by professional investors in their decision-making process aiming to fill the literature gap relating the determinants of the integrated reporting disclosure and what is demanded by this target audience as a minimum content to be reported. As an additional result they offer interesting contributions to the literature providing reflections on nonfinancial information which have become important for Brazilian investors as from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 April 2022

Cintia de Melo de Albuquerque Ribeiro, Flavio Ezequiel, Luis Perez Zotes and Julio Vieira Neto

This paper aims to explore the nonfinancial drivers of value creation that influence an investment decision and present a set of drivers that contribute with a useful integrated…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the nonfinancial drivers of value creation that influence an investment decision and present a set of drivers that contribute with a useful integrated reporting to its providers of financial capital using evidence from Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a systematic literature review in the Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases in the period from 2005 to 2020. Interpretive content analysis is used in 42 documents identified to explore nonfinancial drivers to demand by providers of financial capital, which are classified according to the capitals nonfinancial suggested by the integrated report (IR). Then, the results are evaluated by Brazilian professional investors in a focus group.

Findings

The members of the focus group do not consider the IR relevant to investment decision and neither the information about natural capital nor social capital. They highlighted two nonfinancial drivers of value not identified in the previous literature.

Research limitations/implications

The focus group is limited by subjects’ availability and by the participants’ number. But its results represent initial discussions on the subject in the Brazilian context.

Practical implications

The results of this study have value, principally, to investors, target audience of IR, because it aligns your demands with the IRs content, improving its usefulness.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this manuscript is the first study to investigate the perception of Brazilian professional investors about the importance of the IR in investment decision-making and to identify content relevant to the financial capital provider’s investment decision, which can improve the usefulness of IR.

Details

Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-2517

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2022

Pinaz Tiwari and Nimit Chowdhary

This study aims to explore the good crowding effect among Indian domestic travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the city destination. This study uses the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the good crowding effect among Indian domestic travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the city destination. This study uses the framework of social motivation theory to achieve the objective.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a qualitative research design by taking the case of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 respondents, and themes were drawn manually.

Findings

The analysis found four themes that create a good crowding effect among domestic tourists, namely, convenience and price; familiarity and place attachment; social affiliation; and safety. The themes indicated that despite the pandemic, and constant occurrences of new variants, Indian domestic tourists’ on-site attitude towards crowding was favourable.

Research limitations/implications

Firstly, the good crowding effect during the pandemic could have been better understood using empirical data. Secondly, the results cannot be generalized, specifically for developed economies.

Practical implications

This study offers practical implications to destination managers and local administrative bodies for whom achieving sustainability in urban tourism has always been concerning. These include developing infrastructural facilities, encouraging cultural activities in city centres and improving the perception of safety to sustain the good crowding effect.

Social implications

The affective dimension involved in making a travelling decision played a significant role in the post-pandemic phase. While suppliers needed survival, tourists needed social affiliation and escape from the mandated home isolation due to multiple phases of COVID-19 lockdown in India. This study adds value to society by emphasising that the need for social affiliation among travellers remains intact, and the tourism industry should embrace this transformation.

Originality/value

While most of the pandemic-related studies criticised crowd and tourists’ crowd averting behaviour, this study reported that the good crowding effect could also be an outcome owing to different factors. Therefore, this study offers distinctive nuance of tourists’ behaviour in the post-COVID-19 phase, allowing destination managers and tourism stakeholders to re-think their strategies.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 July 2023

Swagota Saikia, Sumeer Gul and Manoj Kumar Verma

Gamification is an emerging technique of applying game elements to difficult and tedious learning activities to make them fun and exciting. This study aims to review the…

Abstract

Purpose

Gamification is an emerging technique of applying game elements to difficult and tedious learning activities to make them fun and exciting. This study aims to review the scientific landscape of the library’s readiness to adopt gamification with context to application in teaching and learning purposes based on computational tools. The present research also aims to study the growth of literature on gamification, to identify the most contributing authors, countries, affiliations and journals and collaboration status with different geographical settings. The study will also identify the most influential paper on the area with the highest citation and Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) as well as analyzing the keywords for locating the research trend in the subject area.

Design/methodology/approach

The study has adopted Scientometric and Altmetric approach by considering the research outputs of a decade (2013–2022) from Scopus database. First, the required data has been searched using appropriate keywords forming the search strategy by running title–abstract–keywords considering the limitation in the system. The exported data is systematically visualized for performing science mapping like the collaboration of authors, countries, organizations and co-occurrence of keywords using VOSviewer. For finding the Altmetrics score and Mendeley readership of the influential research works, the system Dimension.ai is further used.

Findings

The study found 928 records indicating an exponential growth over the years with total 2,750 authors. Samuel Kai Wah Chu from the University of Hong Kong, China, is the most contributed author. Spain and the USA are highly productive countries, but there needs to be a strong collaboration pattern among authors. It is found that gamification is widely applied in education discipline than any other. Some of the libraries have already implemented gamification tools for learning purposes in their services. The research on gamification still lacks social media attention and needs to be promoted more through various social media platforms for greater visibility.

Originality/value

The study explores the global scientific literature to identify the library’s awareness of implementing gamification tools in their services for teaching and learning purposes. As per the author’s knowledge, no such study has been conducted until date with such aims and objectives through the application of both Scientometrics and Altmetrics approaches.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 November 2023

Teresa Villacé-Molinero, Laura Fuentes-Moraleda, Alicia Orea-Giner, Rocío González-Sánchez and Ana Muñoz-Mazón

This study aims to investigate how university students experience a skill transformation process aligned with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This transformation occurs…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how university students experience a skill transformation process aligned with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This transformation occurs through their participation in a service-learning programme alongside an international volunteering project. The theoretical framework for understanding this skill transformation process is based on the “rite of passage”.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative methodology is adopted by conducting 23 online surveys with volunteers (virtual and onsite) and five with coordinators across the rite of passage phases. Volunteering was carried out in five Mayan indigenous communities in Mexico as part of an international cooperation project with the goals of supporting community-based tourism development and strengthening volunteers’ skills in accordance with the SDGs.

Findings

Results show that international volunteering programmes for university students significantly enhance their interpersonal and professional skills, demonstrating strong potential for implementing the SDGs. These programmes provide learning and education opportunities for both volunteers and local communities. Volunteers gain a broader perspective on gender equality and cultural barriers. Additionally, volunteering supports sustainable tourism, economic worth and collaboration among institutions. Both volunteers’ personal characteristics (educational level and sociocultural context), as well as their sociocultural context, influenced the perception of the skill transformation process and learning about the SDGs. Finally, a new educational university programme in volunteering aligned with SDGs is proposed.

Practical implications

This research examines the practical ramifications of incorporating volunteer programmes into university courses. Universities must include these initiatives in their educational systems as a means of enhancing student learning.

Social implications

A new educational university programme in volunteering aligned with SDGs is proposed. This study suggests a shift in university mindset, as well as increased funding for training and adherence to the SDGs.

Originality/value

This study pioneers the rite of passage framework in an international volunteer tourism project facilitated by universities, emphasizing volunteering as a valuable tool for SDG implementation, considering the interrelationships between objectives.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

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